To New York in the Snow…

Some time back, before I was married, I traveled several times a year for business. Usually I would try to tack on a few vacation days in front or back of the trip and visit someone who lived near my destination. This time in particular I was headed to Nyack, NY. So, I decided to be adventurous and drive to Cape Cod at the end of my trip and then return home from Boston. It was a great idea…in theory…if the trip wasn’t in February. 🙂

I headed to the airport armed with the news that it was snowing in New York…they weren’t sure our plane would take off. I was really hopeful that we would leave…especially because I couldn’t wait to see my friends on the other end. The flight was delayed two or so hours and then we took off. We were in the air for quite a few hours and then we landed. On the way down I discussed my plight with the lady next to me. You see, Nyack is about an hour outside of the city…and, it was still snowing. In fact, we just happened to be the last plane in or out of the airport that evening. And that meant that there were many, many desperate people sleeping in the airport and occupying the surrounding hotels. I was one of those people…but, I had reserved a rental car…which I thought would be my ticket out of there so I could get to my hotel that was an hour away. That was until the lady I was sitting by stopped me in the baggage area and told this California girl that it wasn’t wise for me to try driving in the snow for the first time, in the dark, in a place that is difficult to drive, where I had never been before. She had a point. She convinced me there was some wisdom in staying put, yet…I still went out the door and toward the rental car location…which was offsite…and was closed, due to snow. What was this ill-prepared California Girl to do? I prayed and then tears welled up in my eyes. I was cold, a bit scared, and directionless…until the bus to the Red Lion Hotel pulled up.

I hopped on the bus…the driver asked if I had reservations…through my teary eyes I said, “not yet”. He just smile with a bit of pity and told me that they, and all of the surrounding hotels were full. I didn’t know what else to do but stay on the bus so I sat down. I figured that if I was in their lobby, I could at least be warm there…and it was likely to be a bit less chaotic than the airport. Once I arrived in their lobby, I realized that chaos wasn’t contained only in the airport. I got in line…a very long line and used my cell phone and called the hotel. I was desperate and didn’t want to wait in that line to hear that I lost an open room to someone else…kind of selfish as I look back on it, but it is what happened. The phone rang and I heard them answer…they didn’t know that the person on the other end was in line. 🙂 They confirmed my fears and told me they were full and I burst into tears. Picture this…young girl, from California, pig tails in my hair, had been traveling since early that morning…now crying. While it wasn’t a bit funny then, I do laugh now. 🙂 What a sight. So, I confessed…between tears…I am here,(sob, sob, sob) in your lobby (sob, sob, sob), are you sure? “Where are you?” said the voice on the other end of the line. “Right here”, I said as I sheepishly raised my hand in the line. They had pity on me…and called me to the desk.

I am so thankful to God for the kindness these employees showed me in the midst of my tears…not just a few tears, but full crying by this time. They thought fast…I told them I had a hotel room in Nyack. They called a car company and found a driver that was willing to drive me to Nyack…I was so happy and thankful! They arrived in 10 minutes and we were off. I wish this was the end of the story…and I was as safe as I had believed myself to be, but, I now found myself in a pretty vulnerable situation. For some reason, when the driver asked me where I was going I gave him the directions I had printed off the internet to get to my hotel. Sadly, I would come to find out that they were wrong. My driver, now seemingly regretting answering the call to come and get me, began cursing…we are in the middle of nowhere as far as I am concerned, and he is angry…and lost. My overly creative imagination had me a bit concerned as you can likely understand. So, I called my friend in Boston and she talked to me the whole way to the hotel…even thought it was by now about 11:00 pm. As least if something happened to me, she could hear and send for help. Well, since I am here to recount this story, you can probably guess that it was only my imagination…I arrived safely…and was finally warm. I ordered my first meal of the day at what was now almost the next day and welcomed the Chinese delivery man to my door and tipped him generously as he had delivered in the middle of the night, in the snow. Again, more kindness!

A few hours later, I awoke, and called a cab and headed to my meetings. Here is the icing on the cake of this story…I arrived from California, but, all but 2 of the people I was meeting with were detained, because of snow, and couldn’t make it…really. Nothing could be done…everyone was shocked I actually arrived and they were not able to. Meetings canceled…trip fruitless.

Today, as I recount this letter I find that I am thankful that I have grown in wisdom…today, I would not have made that trip and then tried to drive in the snow, in another state. I would have had the sense to stay put at home and reschedule. But, I will say the happy side was that in my stubbornness, I did rent an SUV. I did drive to Cape Cod in the snow. I did make it. And, I did get to see my friends. And, I arrived a day earlier than intended…since meetings were canceled, due to snow.

I know this is a crazy travel story…how about you? What is your crazy travel story? I know you have one or two!

Blessings!

(Photo is from Google Images…not sure of who owns the original…and not actually taken on my trip. 🙂 )